Table of Contents
Question 43
Which of the two following books are written by Dipesh Chakrabarty?
A. Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought and Historical Difference
B. The Subaltern Studies Reader
C. Identity and Violence
D. The Climate of History in a Planetary Age
E. In Other Worlds
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Identifying the major works of the renowned postcolonial historian and Subaltern Studies scholar, Dipesh Chakrabarty:
- (A) Provincializing Europe (2000): His most famous book, arguing that Western historical models are inadequate for understanding the non-Western world.
- (D) The Climate of History in a Planetary Age (2021): A more recent, highly influential book merging postcolonial theory with the realities of the Anthropocene and climate change.
Why the others are wrong: The Subaltern Studies Reader (B) was edited by Ranajit Guha. Identity and Violence (C) is by Amartya Sen. In Other Worlds (E) is by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak.
Question 44
Match List I with List II:
| List I (Critic/Historian) | List II (Work) |
|---|---|
| A. M. K. Naik | I. The Indian Contribution to English Literature |
| B. David McCutchion | II. A History of Indian English Literature |
| C. A. R. Srinivasa Iyengar | III. English in India: Its Present and Future |
| D. V. K. Gokak | IV. Indian Writing in English: Critical Essays |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Matching the foundational historians and critics of Indian Literature in English:
A. M.K. Naik — (II) A History of Indian English Literature (1982). The standard Sahitya Akademi textbook.
B. David McCutchion — (IV) Indian Writing in English: Critical Essays (1969).
C. A.R. Srinivasa Iyengar — (I) The Indian Contribution to English Literature (1945). (Note: Iyengar is most famous for Indian Writing in English, but he also authored this earlier volume).
D. V.K. Gokak — (III) English in India: Its Present and Future (1964).
Question 45
Braj Kachru (Note: the prompt says "Todd Kachru," an error in the original question paper) in “Three Circles of English” observes that English speaking countries are separated into three groups.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
The Indian linguist Braj Kachru formulated the highly influential "Three Circles of English" model in 1985 to describe the global spread of the English language.
- The Inner Circle: Countries where English is the traditional, native first language (UK, USA, Australia).
- The Outer Circle: Countries where English is not native, but has deep historical/colonial roots and serves as an official second language for government and education (India, Nigeria, Singapore).
- The Expanding Circle: Countries with no historical colonial ties to English, but which are currently teaching it as an international foreign language for business and tech (China, Japan, Russia).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Provincializing Europe" mean?
In his famous book, Dipesh Chakrabarty argues that academic history has traditionally treated Europe as the universal center of the world, with all other nations trying to "catch up" to its timeline of modernity. To "provincialize" Europe means to treat European history not as the universal standard, but as just one specific, regional (provincial) history among many.
What are "Subaltern Studies"?
A group of South Asian scholars (including Ranajit Guha and Dipesh Chakrabarty) who formed a collective in the 1980s. They aimed to rewrite the history of India from the perspective of the "subaltern"—the marginalized, oppressed, and lower-class peasants and workers—rather than focusing solely on the colonial rulers or the elite Indian nationalists.
Why is M.K. Naik's history book important?
M.K. Naik's A History of Indian English Literature (published by the Sahitya Akademi) is considered the definitive, standard academic textbook charting the evolution of Indian literature written in English, from its early colonial beginnings (Henry Derozio) to the post-independence era.
